The families of the 96 Liverpool football fans who died during the Hillsborough disaster were told “you’ll never walk alone” after receiving a standing ovation at a memorial service to mark 25 years since the tragedy on Tuesday.

They were joined by Liverpool players, club officials and more than 20,000 ordinary fans who gathered at Anfield to pay tribute to those who were killed in the crush on the terraces at Sheffield Wednesday’s stadium on April 15, 1989.

As the loved ones of those who lost their lives at Hillsborough arrived for the service the crowd rose to its feet with a roar of support from all four sides of the Liverpool home ground.

Liverpool fans sing 'You'll Never Walk Alone' during the Hillsborough memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield (Getty)

There were further cheers at the arrival of Anfield heroes including the current club captain Steven Gerrard, Robbie Fowler and Kenny Dalglish, who was manager at the time of the disaster.

But at 3.06pm - the exact time a quarter of a century ago that the referee blew his whistle to abandon the match as the tragedy unfolded - Liverpool fell silent for a minute, with public transport halted and the barriers of both Mersey Tunnels lowered, before bells rang out 96 times at churches and civic buildings across the city.

Starting the service, the Rev Kelvin Bolton, from the local parish of Christ Church and Holy Trinity, thanked the Hillsborough campaigners for refusing to give up their quest for the truth.

“Twenty-five years, a quarter of a century, a lifetime. Thank you for the example you have given to us of refusing to give up," he said.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers also heaped praise upon the families who had fought for justice after giving a reading of Psalm 23.

He said: "I feel very humble to be in your company.

"You are the real inspiration for us. Your courage, fortitude, resilience and love for the people you lost, it's what inspires me, every day, as the manager of Liverpool Football Club.

"Thank you for the inspiration you give us all. You'll never walk alone."

His words were echoed by current Everton boss Roberto Martinez who said: “I know, I don't have to tell you, Everton are with you, you know that."

A number of those present at the memorial will be witnesses in the new inquest into the Hillsborough deaths, which was opened last month and resumes next week.

The original accidental deaths verdicts in 1991 were quashed in the High Court in 2012 after a long campaign by the victims' families.

Liverpool fans are pulled up to the top tier of the stand to escape the over crowding on 15 April 1989 (Rex)

Trevor Hicks, president of the Hillsborough Family Support Group (HFSG) who lost his daughters, Victoria, 15, and Sarah, 19, in the tragedy, said: “We made it all happen.

“We stood together. We pulled, we pushed we refused to lie down, we refused to go away, which is something that annoyed an awful lot of people.

"We made all this happen, we the families of the 96."

Traditional football hymn Abide With Me was sung before the names of the 96 fans were read out.

At each name a light was lit, one by one, on a large piece of sculpture entitled the Band of Life, until all the lights were illuminated.

On the pitch, thousands of football scarves were laid out in the shape of "96", donated from fans and clubs across the UK and overseas after an appeal from Liverpool FC for scarves to show a symbol of unity across fan rivalries.

Speaking ahead of the service, Margaret Aspinall, chair of the HSFG whose son James, 18, died in the tragedy, told ITV's Daybreak: "All of them, fans and survivors, that have gone through so much alongside us, I'll be praying for them as well, that in the end they'll all have peace because that's all we've ever wanted in the end, just peace. You can't have peace until you get truth."

Julie Fallon, who lost her 23-year-old brother, Colin Sefton, from Skelmsersdale, in the disaster, told BBC Breakfast: "People are so, and always have been - the city of Liverpool and Anfield - have been incredibly supportive, but I suppose in those quiet moments at the memorial, even though you are surrounded by thousands of people, who are all giving you their very best wishes, I think each family then becomes quite insular for those moments, and just remembers what it means for them."

Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted: "On the 25th anniversary of Hillsborough, my thoughts are with the families of the 96, the survivors and all those affected by the tragedy."

Groups of football fans stood in bright sunshine in front of Anfield's permanent Hillsborough memorial, reading the names of the dead, among them the youngest victim Jon-Paul Gilhooley, aged 10 and the cousin of Steven Gerrard.

A Liverpool supporter react during the memorial service marking the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough Disaster at Anfield Stadium (Getty)

Joe Wright, 58, from Widnes, was one of the many people who laid flowers at the memorial.

The season ticket holder said: “I was at Hillsborough on the day and I just felt I needed to come today.

“My mates were in Leppings Lane but they all got out. It affected everyone on that day."

Robert Vannucci, secretary of the 1st Bangor Liverpool Supporters Club, was with eight others from Northern Ireland laying a wreath of red roses at the Shankly Gates.

He said: "We just felt we wanted to be here for the fans who lost their lives so unjustly. We felt we wanted to be here to pay our respects."

The global support of the club was evident, with scarves from French team Paris St Germain along with the flag of Lebanon tied to the gates.